Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), an Indian spy agency, perpetrated the November attack on Chinese Consulate in Karachi, Additional IG Dr Amir Ahmed Shaikh disclosed on Friday. "The deadly terrorist attack was planned in Afghanistan, and executed with the assistance of RAW," city's police chief said at a press briefing.
In November last year, three heavily armed militants entered the Chinese Consulate in the 'high security zone' of Clifton's Block-4 but were shot dead in an encounter with law enforcement personnel. The assault also claimed the lives of two police officials and two visa applicants besides injuring a private guard of the foreign mission. The banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) had claimed responsibility of the attack.
At least five facilitators have been arrested so far from Karachi, Hub and Quetta, Shaikh added. In light of the police investigations, he said the deadly attack was aimed at sabotaging the multi-billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project and to ignite trouble between the two friendly nations.
He said trained terrorists had been observing the consulate particularly its visa section for almost four months. They used to sit in the visa section of the consulate to observe its functioning, timings and other details.
The AIG said the terrorists transported weapons concealed in a boat engine from Quetta to Karachi via train and these weapons and other materials were dumped at a house in Baldia Town area.
The militants used fake computerized national identity cards. The police will request the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and Pakistan Railways to upgrade their security mechanism so that the facilities of the railways and the National Database & Registration Authority (Nadra) are not misused by terrorists in future.
He shared with media several photographs recovered from the cellphones of the terrorists. One of the facilitators was cousin of Aslam alias Achho - the alleged mastermind of the attack - while another was the brother-in-law of another high-profile terrorist, who is considered the second to Achho, Shaikh said.
He added that there were reports that Achho and some other high-profile terrorists had been killed in an attack in Afghanistan but refused to believe the reports until "seeing the dead bodies of the terrorists or any other solid proof."